WESTWEGO, La. — Chauncey Billups is now officially in the cross hairs.

The New Orleans Hornets have sat back and watched the show in the first two games, and what they’ve seen has made them sick. As a result, how they deal with Billups was a main topic in a Friday morning film session at their practice facility.

And it is really the only defensive alteration New Orleans plans to make.

“We got to make Chauncey a little more uncomfortable,” forward David West said. “We were pleased with the way we defended (Carmelo Anthony) the first couple of games, but Chauncey is just too comfortable. He’s not playing under duress at any point in the game. There will be a few changes in terms of how we’re going to deal with Chauncey.”

Billups’ ability to play a free-flowing game has resulted in these numbers (brace yourself): A 33.5 points per game average on 60 percent shooting overall, an unheard-of 80 percent from the 3-point line and six assists per game.

Billups’ effectiveness has been contagious. The Nuggets are averaging 110.5 points, on 50.3 percent shooting and 54.1 percent from the 3-point line. Those numbers obliterate the totals the Nuggets put up during the regular season and are considerably higher than what the Hornets allowed Denver to roll up in four regular-season meetings.

“They are making shots, and we’re taking the ball out of the net,” forward James Posey said. “We have to do a better job of contesting shots.”

Yet Hornets coach Byron Scott does not believe that defense is the Hornets’ primary problem. He points to turnovers, which gave the Nuggets extra possessions, as the main issue.

“I think the fact that we have 34 turnovers is the most unnerving part, because we have been one of the best teams all season long as far as taking care of the basketball,” Scott said. “So one of our biggest concerns was talking to our guys about making sure we take care of the ball and get better possessions, and if we do that then we feel we’ll be OK. But the defensive part hasn’t been that big of a problem.”

Scott did acknowledge Billups has become a concern worth addressing. Scott’s biggest issue was Billups going to the free-throw line 19 times in the first two games (and he’s made all of them).

“We have to do a better job of guarding him without fouling him as well,” Scott said. “From a defensive standpoint, their sets aren’t the things that are really killing us.”

Still, Scott would like to see his team close off the paint with more regularity and force the Nuggets to become a jump-shooting team.

“If we can keep them on the perimeter shooting jump shots that are contested, we’ll live with that,” Scott said. “And they are going to make a bunch of them, but they are going to miss their fair share as well. But we can’t let them have the midrange jump shot, open 3s and layups. If you give them all three, you’re going to lose the game.”

Chris Dempsey arrived at The Denver Post in Dec. 2003 after seven years at the Boulder Daily Camera, where he primarily covered the University of Colorado football and men's basketball teams. A University of Colorado-Boulder alumnus, Dempsey covers the Nuggets and also chips in on college sports.

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